Rail cushion



Sept' l0, 1940. AT. B. uPcHuRcH, JR 2,214,628

- RAIL CUSHION Filed sept. 1. i939 F".Z i y vla v'Zas lwentor; THOMAS B. UPCHURCHJQ.

(tforneg Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED *STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a rail cushion for rail roads and more especially to a tiel plate having certain resilient and shock absorbing qualities. It is a well known fact that the conventional metallic tie plate which is now in use has a tendency to dig or mash into the top of the cross tie when the rolling stock passes over the rails, thereby damaging the tie. This digging effect is partially noticeable near the edges of the tie plates b ecause the edges are usually sharp andhave a tendency to cut the wood bers. Also the metallic plates do not absorb the shock; consequently, there is a tendency for the spikes, which secure thev rails upon the plate and cross-tie to loosen from time to time, necessitating frequent redriving,

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a tie plate made of some resilient and fibrous material such as rubber and cotton ber or thel like, which may be used between the cross tie and the vrail. .A suitable rubber composition impregnated into the fabric may be used in order to preserve the same and to give the tie plate a longer life.

It is another object of this invention to provide the combination of a spike, a rail, and a cross tie with a resilient plate so positioned that it will serve as a lock washer for the spike .as Well as a cushion for the rail. This locking feature comprises the upwardly and inwardly lturned side edges which encircle the lower flanges of the rail and are disposed directly beneath the heads of the spikes. In other words, the folded edges of the tie plate t beneath the heads o-f the spike very much in the same manner that a lock washer fits beneath ythe nut of a bolt. When in an installed position, the tie plate is wrapped around the lower flanges of the rail, and the portion'of the tie plate which is clamped upon the upper side of the flange by the spike head also acts to' cushion any shock upon the spike. This lock washer effect serves to keep the spike from working loose and lessens the danger of derailment, which is very often caused by loosened spikes.

It is -a further object of this invention to provide a resilient tie plate which is adapted to Work beneath the lower anges of a rail, said tie plate having in-turned ribbed or beaded edges which encircle the lower iianges and are normally disposed above the upper flange of the rail and upon the spike heads.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- (CLAZSS-IZSS) Figure 1 is a plan view of -a portion of a railroad showing my improved tie plate associated therewith;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the tie plate shown in the preceding figures before the same has 4been installed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Figure 2, showing a slightly modified form of the tie plate in an installed position;

Figure 5 is an isometric View of the tie plate shown in Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral It denotes suitable cross ties upon which my improved tie plates II are adapted to rest. These tie plates have rails 'I4 resting thereupon, said rails being secured upon the tie plates II and to the cross ties It by any suitable means such as spikes I 5. It is preferable to incorporate in the tie plates I I, a plurality of layers of brous material I 6 such as cotton fabric, or the like. This fabric It is usually impregnated with a suitable binder such as rubber or the like, and upon each side of the fabric It a surface of rubber Il is provided. The fabric and rubber are vulcanized together much in the same manner employed in the manufacture of pneumatic tire casings.

Along each edge of the tie plate II, a ribbed or bead portion I8 is formed which is reinforced by any suitable means such as a metallic cable or It will be noted that the ribs I8 are turned inwardly and when in an installed position they are adapted to normally rest upon the f heads of the spikes I5. By placing the ribs I8 over the heads ofthe spikes I5 a stabilizing effect is produced. Also by providing this curled inturned rib portion I8 the plate II will remain beneath the rail regardless of whether the spikes' are driven or not. In other words, should the head of a spike come off, or should a spike become completely removed from the cross tie, these ribs would curl farther inwardly and rest upon'the top of the lower flange of the rail I4.

In order to insure that the spikes will be held in position, however, relative to the tie plates Il, a suitable projection I5a is provided along one face of the spikes I5. This projection is wedge shaped, having its upper portion extending substantially at right angles to the side of the spike. When the projection has once penetrated the tie plate, the shoulder on the upper side thereof will serve to prevent the spike from becoming disengaged from the plate.

Another advantage of having a tie plate made of resilient cushioning material is that of eliminating the necessity of punching holes for the spike l5. In -other words, it gives a railroad construction gang a greater range of choice as to the point where the spikes shall be driven, because the tie plate is made of a material that `can be easily penetrated by a spike, without having the tie punched beforehand.

Especial attention is called to the fact that the tie plate Il has upwardly and inwardly curled sides. By providing these inturned, curled sides, the wearing surface between the edges of the lower flange and the top side -of the tie plate is increased, thereby distributing the wear over a wider area. The result in so distributing the wear, is a longer lifeof the tie plate. If these curled portions were not provided the wear of the sharp edges on the lower flange would s-oon cut the upper side of the tie plate rendering it defective. Also by having the lower sides of the tie plate rounded, the cutting effect between the edges of the tie plate and the top side of the cross tie is eliminated.

Figures 4 and 5 show a slightly modied form of the invention in which a tie plate is provided, which comprises an outer layer of rubber or the like 26 and an inner layer of rubber or the like 2l. Between these layers of rubber are a plurality of layers of brous material 28 such as cotton cord, fabric or the like. The construction of the material from which this plate is made is similar to that of the tie plate Il previously described. A

The side edges of the tie plate 25 `are folded upwardly and inwardly so that the inturned edges will normally rest upon the top of the lower flange of rail l. By providing these inturned edges, the tie plate is prevented from slipping out from under the rail in case of a loosened or broken spike. The side edges of the tie plate (Figure 5) have a plurality of notches 30 cut therein, of substantially the same width as the body portion of a spike. When the tie plate 25 is placed beneath the rail i4 and upon a cross tie l, -a suitable spike 3| is driven downwardly into the tie, at a point coinciding with the notches 3U.

As will be seen in Figure 1, it is customary only to placetwo spikes at each tie plate, the remaining notches 30 being provided in case additional spikes are necessary. These notches penetrate the folded edges of the tie plates, thereby making it possible for the spikes 3l to 4come into contact with the edges of the lower ange of the rail I4 as shown in Figure 4. When the spike is driven down, the head 'of the spike normally rests upon an inturned folded edge of the tie plate, which in turn rests upon the upper side of the lower rail flange. This inturned portion serves as a lock washer to keep the spikes from working loose,

thereby helping to lessen the danger of derailment caused by loosened spikes and spreading rails. `This will also eliminate the necessity of driving down the `spikes so often to retighten them.

My improved tie plate is designed to lessen the possibility of the bolts that penetrate the rail splice bars from becoming loose. Such a structure also lessens the noise at the rail joints when the rolling stock passes thereover by serving las a pad and shock absorber under the rails. l

In the drawing and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the inven tion, and although specific terms have been employed, they are used in `a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a railroad track having cross ties, rails and spikes driven into the cross ties adjacent the lower side flanges of the rails so that the heads o-f the spikes press against and overlie the upper surfaces of said rail flanges, a cushioning member,y made of layers of rubber and fabric vulcanized together and disposed between the lower surface of the rail and the cross ties, said cushioning member extending substantially laterally of the side edges of the rail and being penetrated by said spikes, said cushioning member having its side edges curved upwardly and then inwardly to overlie the heads of the spikes.

THOMAS B. UPCHURCI-, JR. 

